A legacy honored in helping students create their own

Rodney Cooper, a radiology student at Harlem Hospital Center, struggled to contain his emotions as he stood in front of a packed auditorium at Columbia University Medical Center and accepted a scholarship to assist his healthcare career.

“This is a great blessing to me,” he said of his award. “It has given me an opportunity I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Somewhere, Stanley E. Michels must have been smiling.

At a ceremony at Columbia University Medical Center on Thurs., Apr. 4th, a scholarship program to benefit allied health students in northern Manhattan was renamed to honor the deceased Michels, a former New York City Councilmember who worked during his career in public service to increase opportunities for education.

Eleven students were awarded scholarships at the event by the City University of New York and Columbia University, to complete programs in medical laboratory technology, radiological technology, and occupational and physical therapy.

The students hailed from Bronx Community College, Hostos Community College and Harlem Hospital Center School of Radiologic Technology.

Michels was a lifelong Washington Heights resident who served on City Council from 1978 through 2001 – his district at the time encompassed nearly all of northern Manhattan. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 75.

The scholarship program was initially launched in 1995 at Michels’ urging.

“I know that Stanley would be proud that the work he did as a Councilmember is still paying off,” remarked Steve Simon, former Chief of Staff for Michels. “It’s nice to see that his role in starting this has not been forgotten.”

The newly-named Stanley E. Michels Health Careers Scholarship provides up to $12,500 to students who, due to economic hardship, are unable to complete the New York State requirement of 1,500 hours of unpaid clinical internships as a prerequisite to becoming a certified allied health worker.

“It helps low-income students whose dreams might have otherwise been dashed for no other reason than financial,” stated Zina Richardson, Director of Career Development and Internships for CUNY.

“This is a great blessing to me,” said radiology student Rodney Cooper, with Harlem Hospital Center’s Education Director Stephanie Evans.

Simon said that the scholarship program was first conceived of more than 20 years ago when Michels was negotiating the Audubon Research Park project with Columbia.

“He heard that students were having difficulty getting jobs because they couldn’t afford to take the time away from their lives to do unpaid internships,” explained Simon. “The scholarship has now benefited 70 people since its inception.”

A proponent of education, Michels secured tens of millions of dollars in the city budget to build new schools and additions, and also improve libraries.

Columbia University recently committed to provide $1 million over a ten-year period to sustain the scholarship program.

“This is an example of true leadership in education,” Sandra Harris, Assistant Vice President, Government and Community Affairs at Columbia University Medical Center, told the audience. “We have worked for years to make this program happen, and are pleased to help with funding.”

The Columbia University funds will be used to underwrite scholarships for residents of the West Harlem/Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights/Inwood communities.

“The scholarship has now benefited 70 people since its inception,” explained Steve Simon, Michels’ former Chief of Staff.

In addition, the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone has awarded a $136,000 grant to CUNY students who reside in Central and East Harlem.

Professionals in attendance remarked that the Michels scholarship is unique in the medical field.

“There are many scholarships for nursing, but not for allied health,” said Virginia Mishkin, scholarship coordinator at Bronx Community College, who presented awards to several of her students.

Stephanie Evans, director of education for Harlem Hospital Center, said that the financial aid received from the program is an important stepping stone for its recipients.

“Many of these folks cannot afford to go directly to college after high school,” she said.

“They can start out with an allied health career, work for a few years and can gain practical experience to do what they want in the future.”

Catherine Perez, who emigrated from the Dominican Republic at age 13, accepted a scholarship to assist with her medical laboratory technology career. She said that she worked hard to overcome the initial language barrier in this country, and felt like an inspiration as the first member of her family to attend college.

Harris fought back tears as she heard first-hand how the scholarship funds made education possible for these students.

“Sorry for being emotional, but it’s really moving to see the impact it has had on people’s lives,” she said. “This is a very special occasion.”

The Stanley E. Michels Health Careers Scholarship Program is administered solely by CUNY. To qualify for the Scholarship Program, student applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States, permanent residents of the Washington Heights/Inwood or Harlem communities in north Manhattan (Community Districts 9, 10, 11 and 12); and must have a 2.5 cumulative grade point average as verified by an official transcript from the college or training program. All applicants are required to contact their CUNY faculty advisor, program coordinator, career services office or financial aid office for eligibility requirements and application.

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